The interview is the next stage after successful Shortlisting. Most people don’t understand the interviewer’s mindset. It is important to understand the interviewer’s mindset which is usually focused on three main areas:

Can you do the job?  Which focuses on your skills and competence

Will you do the job?  This looks at your motivation and commitment

Will you fit in? Concerned with your personality and cultural fit

What Matters During the interview

First impressions – very critical here are  your confidence, professionalism, and communication skills within the first few minutes.Your attire, body language, and handshake , if necessary,  will  contribute to a  perception.

Evaluation of your qualifications and experience – generally, your  responses  are compared to your CV to ensure consistency. Your CV is analysed to determine how well your experience aligns with the job requirements.  Questions  will be  asked about your past roles, challenges you faced, and how you solved them.

– Assessment of your soft skills and problem-solving ability – organizations value  candidates with strong interpersonal and leadership skills. You will be asked behavioural questions such as  how you handled some conflict. Here, they  look for structured responses often using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

–  Knowledge and industry awareness. Questions may be  asked about current trends in your field. The purpose is to see if you understand industry challenges and opportunities.

– Cultural and  organizational fit. Alignment with company culture is critical. Hence, your  personality  will  be tested to see  whether your personality and work style align with the company’s culture. Your attitude, enthusiasm, and ability to work in a team are keenly observed

– Evaluation of your motivation and long-term interest. We perform a check to determine if you are genuinely interested in the role. We also assess if you are just looking for a job.Questions  will  be  asked about career goals to see if they align with the company’s vision.

–  Salary and negotiation – you will certainly be asked about your salary expectations. This ensures it fits within their budget. They assess your ability to negotiate professionally.

– Decision-making for who gets shortlisted for the next round -The recruiter compares your performance with that of other candidates.They look for  qualities that standout that make you a top choice.They check your eferences or conduct further background checks before final selection.

Strategies used by recruiters to identify hidden or secret skills

Secret skills often set candidates apart and reveal their true potential beyond formal qualifications. Recruiters uncover them through:

– Using behavioural interview questions.  Scenario-based questions are  used to uncover critical thinking, adaptability, and leadership skills. A candidate  may ask to tell how they  solved a specific problem with limited resources

Using probing to check achievements and past experiences. Candidates will be asked about projects they have undertaken,  challenges encountered, and how the candidate solved them

– Use of non-verbal cues and communication style. Interview questions are used to determine how candidates express ideas, engage in conversation, and handle pressure . This gives insights into  their confidence, emotional intelligence, and persuasion skills.

– Handling unexpected questions. A candidate may be asked out-of-the-box questions to see creativity, adaptability, and logical reasoning. Example: “If you were given unlimited resources, how would you improve our industry?”

Group discussions and case studies. These usually involve  team-based assessments. Recruiters will observe collaboration, leadership, and decision-making.

Psychometric and personality tests. Some recruiters prefer to use aptitude tests, personality assessments, or cognitive ability tests. They aim to uncover analytical thinking, leadership tendencies, and creativity.

Reviewing extracurricular activities and hobbies. The use of activities like mentorship, volunteering, sports, or blogging can reveal hidden leadership, resilience, and communication skills. A candidate who is managing a personal blog might have strong content creation and digital marketing skills.

– use of side projects and personal initiatives. This is used to determine whether candidates pursue learning beyond their job.

– Handling pressure and conflict. Questions  about  how one handled workplace conflicts, difficult clients, or tight deadlines may be asked to reveal negotiation, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution skills

– Online presence and figital footprint. Recruiters may check online platforms such as LinkedIn profiles. They look for additional skills not listed on the CV. Publications or blogs might also highlight these skills.

Highlighting your secret skills during the interview

Ensure that recruiters notice your hidden strengths by using storytelling. Apply storytelling when answering interview questions to showcase your soft skills.

– Mention any side projects and extracurricular activities that you  have engaged in that are not on your CV.

– Build an online presence through LinkedIn, blog, and research publications.

– Develop a portfolio showcasing your past work.